The top reported proficiency rate is 76% in Science. The lowest is 70% in English language arts.
Original Research by School Decision on Matthews Elementary
Matthews Elementary serves children in kindergarten through fifth grade in a Charlotte suburb that has grown steadily in recent years. The school has about 740 students, with enrollment fairly balanced across the six grades. About a third of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch. The student body is predominantly white, with meaningful representation among Black, Hispanic, and Asian students, and a small share of students identifying with two or more races.
On the most recent state testing data available, Matthews Elementary shows solid performance. In mathematics, students in grades three through five met or exceeded the state proficiency standard at a rate above seven in ten. English language arts proficiency was somewhat lower, near seven in ten. Science proficiency, where only a subset of grades was tested, ran higher, above three-quarters. These results position the school favorably within its testing context, though parents may want to ask the school directly about trends over time, since available data does not permit year-to-year comparison.
Demographic enrollment data for special populations—students receiving special education services and English learners—was not reported, so a parent interested in understanding these support systems would need to contact the school to learn about the scope and nature of those programs.
Matthews itself is a midsized suburb southeast of Charlotte, about midway between Charlotte's center and the Union County line. Downtown Matthews clusters around Trade Street and Stumptown Park, home to a farmers market, restaurants, and cafés in restored late-nineteenth and early-twentieth-century storefronts. Outside downtown, the town is organized around residential neighborhoods and commercial corridors like Independence Boulevard. The area has a reputation for a relaxed, neighborly feel and active preservation of its downtown character.
The town is in a sustained growth phase. Population has risen noticeably since 2020, and the town planning board has noted that project applications in recent years have matched the total of the prior two decades. Major construction projects underway or planned include large multifamily communities—both mixed-income family housing and age-targeted apartments—and infrastructure improvements including road widening on John Street. Housing values in the Matthews zip code are moderately above the North Carolina state median, and rents have ticked down slightly in recent months. The area's major employers include healthcare facilities like Novant Health Matthews Medical Center, Harris Teeter and Family Dollar corporate operations based in town, and Charlotte-based finance and healthcare employers that draw commuting workers.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, the district housing Matthews Elementary, is currently navigating significant change. In 2023, voters approved a record bond referendum funding three new middle schools, a new high school, an athletics complex, and numerous renovation projects, paired with staggered property tax increases through 2029 that will directly affect household tax bills. More fundamentally, the district is transitioning its magnet and choice system from its long-standing "School Choice" model to a "Program Choice" model launching in 2027-28, consolidating offerings and shifting how families navigate pathways. At the elementary level, the district has also adopted a uniform language arts curriculum using EL Education's approach, meant to standardize instruction across schools.
Matthews Elementary itself sits in that wider context of district change and growth. The school data available shows competent proficiency in core subjects and a student population reflecting both the suburban character and increasing diversity of its community. A parent considering enrollment would benefit from direct conversations with the school about how these district-level shifts are affecting instruction, what supports exist for students needing them, and how the school anticipates serving its growing and changing population.
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